S8 Ep838: 13/16: Simon Constable reviews surging commodity prices and the threat of famine in North Africa. He also discusses UK local elections, framing them as a protest vote against Keir Starmer's leadership.

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 11 minutes

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Summary

13/16: Simon Constable reviews surging commodity prices and the threat of famine in North Africa. He also discusses UK local elections, framing them as a protest vote against Keir Starmer's leadership.
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0:00.0	I'm John Bachelor, to the South of France, Paradise, Simon Constable, writing for Barron's and
0:21.9	Wall Street Journal and other distinguished publications.
0:24.7	Today we're attending to the price of energy and everything else around the world during
0:29.5	the crisis in the Middle East.
0:31.8	Simon, a very good day to you.
0:33.4	We begin with your climate.
0:35.3	I report, it is full springtime here.
0:38.3	Yesterday it was in the 70s and gorgeous sunny,
0:42.3	rewarding me for having got all my forcithias planted before the rains came.
0:47.2	We're expecting rain tonight, a front coming in,
0:49.6	but it's springtime in New England.
0:51.7	How is it with you, Simon?
0:53.1	Good day.
0:55.1	Good day to you, John.
1:01.7	Thanks for having me on the show. Today has been chilly, cold, whatever you want to call it.
1:10.0	The low temperature, 48 Fahrenheit, the high temperature, 57, and it's been cloudy and feels really really chilly indoors and
1:12.5	outdoors at the moment. So I'm hoping this
1:14.6	passes. It's not terrible.
1:17.2	It's not raining inside
1:18.7	the house, which is great,
1:20.6	and we'll get over it. But that's
1:22.6	what's happening right now. Now you're still
	...

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